Spring-wheel.



W. R. GARDNER.

SPRING WHEEL APPLIUATIQN Hmm 00T. 2s, 190s.

Patented Apr. 19,1910.

- aan I l w UNITED STATES)` PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIALI R. GARDNER, 01'? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TC GARDNER AUTO SPRING WHEEL COMPANY, v01E LOS ANGELES," CLIFORNIVA. A CORPORATION OE CALIFORNIA.

SPRmG-WHEEL.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patentedv'Apn 19 i910 applicati@ ined october 2c, 190s. serial No. 459,632.

To all whom 'it may' concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. GABDXER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county 'of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Spring-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels,

. and the main object of theinvention is to so construct the wheel that its rim is resiliently supportedv with respect. to its hub, so that in operation shockto the hub of the y V Wheel is avoided.

.ing resistance, while if the whe-el is te be used on a light vehicle, adapted for carrying light loads, the tension of the springs may be decreased so that the maximum degree of resiliencyY is ittici-ded. and at the saine time securing the required amount of sustainingr power. v

Another object-is to firmly support the rim portion of the Wheel in such a manner that it may move radially with respect to the hub, but is prevented from any lateral or twisting motion with respect to the regular plane of movement which is atright angles to the axis of the hub.

Referring to the drawings -Figure 1 is a side elevation of the Wheel. Fig. 2 is a ver- 'tical cross section through the wheel taken on line-a--az2 Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on line :v3- m3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4'

is an enlarged View of a part of Fig. 3, sh'oyvin the manner of securing the inner ends o the springs and the parts adjacent thereto.

- The wheel .is 'especially designed for automobil, and obviously may be used on other vehicles if desired, and the wheel is so" constructed that fitmav be operated either as one .of the idle'wheels of the. automobile, or it may serve as one of the driving Wheels.`

l-designatesa portion of the axle of the vehicle upon whlch the wheel is mounted.-

The hub of thewheel comprises a barrel 2 mounted on the axle 1 and havingits outer Aend internally screw threaded to receive a nut 3. As the wheel shown is to be used as one of the driving wheels of the automobile, the hub 2 is equipped with a brake-drum 4 and gear If the wheel is not to be used as a driving wheel, but merely as an idle wheel, the gear 5 may be omitted, and obviously the brake-drum 4 may or may not beA used, according as towhether it is desired 4 to apply the brake to trie wheel or not.

The hub 2 is provided with, two fianges G against the outer sides of which two intermediate plates 7 rest, each plate 7 being in the form of a disk and having its rim dished inwardly, as shown. A pair of center plates S. Which are similar in construction to the plates?, but of 7smaller diameter, bear against. the omer faces of the plates 7, and are rigidly secured thereto by means of rivets 9. The outer plate S is also retained by the liaugcd head of the nut 3, and the inner plate 8 rests against the brake-drum 4.

The hub 2 is provided with six pairs of lugs 10, and pivoted to each pair of lugs 10 is a 'threaded bolt 11 .v -"nich is connected by a screw coupling 12 with a 'rcversely threaded bolt l?, the latter being connected b v a coil tension spring 14 with a rim 15. The springs 14 are welded at their enter ends to plates 15' and at their inner ends to plates 14. The inner plate 14 of each spring is secured to the end of a. bolt, 13 by upsetting the head of the bolt on the plate. The outer plate 15 of each spring is riveted to the. rim 15. I have shown six springs 14, but it is l obvious that more or less of these could be employed, if desired. Two outer plates 16 are secured to the rim 15 and extend inside of the intermediate .plate '.7, the inner por. tions of the plates 16 being curved outwardly and provided with packing 17. The two plates 16 are also secured together by bolts 18 and are spaced apart by spacing sleeves 19 which encircle Athe bolts 18. As shown in Fig. 2, the bolts`18 are arranged centrally bet-Ween the springs 14 so that the action of the springs is not interfered with. 'The rim 15 may7 be equipped with any form oftire desired, such, for example, as the solid tire 20 shown. j

In operation, the load is carried by the up'- permost-springs which are brou t under, tension, each spring beinggradua ly placed under a tension as the spring moves into a position at the upper part of the wheel as the heel revolves, while as the .spring passes toward thev lower part of the wheel the tension on itis gradually reduced. Upon striking anl obstruction, the rini will be suddenly moved upward thereby further increasing the tension ofthe upper springs until their tension is siitlicient to l'ft the load or the wheel rolls ottl t'ioin the obstruction. whereupon theupper springs again regain their nornia'l load sustaining tension, and thus shoelcs to the hub of the wheel and to the load are avoided.

vWhen the wheel is operated-:is a driving wheel, the neergz-,ary rotation is imparted freni the hub to the i'iin through the inediinn Aof ihe springs, and Il ins duringr such use of 'the wheel the hub may turn relatively to the y wheel a certain ainonn until the springs are under a tension snllieient to transmitthe driving' power to the rini. Obviously, iinder siieh conditions all of the springs will be placed under a greater tension, and atthe saine tnne the uppermost springs will still have :he freiner tension oninlr to their n -wright sustaining function. 'hen the wheel is ined :is-a driving wheel in this manner, the springs also art. to absorb shocks which would otherii-'ise be imparted to the vehicle owing to sudden variations in the driving pon'erkanda further advantage is that the engine and transmission mechanism is also relieved from sudden reactive Shocks,cause l, for example, by striking obstructions 1n the road, am the operation of the. engine is thereby rendered more uniform as these sudden changes in the load are thus placed on the engine more gradually.

The outer plates 16 will obviously slide with respect to the intermediate plate 7, and the out i rinis of the plates 7, being iii-turned and bearing against plates 16, preventthe entrance of sand, water or foi-eign substance to the interior. Any slight amount of moisture or dust which might work past the outer riin of plates however, is arrested by the packing 17, so that the interior o the wheel is practically moisture anddust roof. I

What I claim is:

A spring wheel, comprising a huh, a pair Vof anges on the hub, a pair of intermediate termediate plates, a gasket within each of` .said chambers, a rim supported by the outer plates, bolts with 'spacing sleeves eonnectinv theonter plates together, and a series of eoii tension springs secured to the rim and connected to said hub.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set i my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1st.

day of October 1908.

WILLIAiM R. GARDNER. In presence of-' i G. T. HACKLEY, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM. 

